SUGGESTED POSTPONEMENT
SIR JOSEPH WARD ANXIOUS. OF FAVOURITISM. Utecui. to "xkk nuas.*') WELLINGTON, November 27. The Lyttelton by-election was the subject of discussion in the House tnis afternoon, tho principal point at issue being :ihe alleged premature closing of tho rolls and the supposed exclusion of Oppositionvoters. , - Sir Joseph Ward raised the question by Van enquiry if tho Prime Minister could answer ho had asked yesterday about' tho requisition being recalled to permit of more voters being registered. ■ - ' ; As, has already been said in "The Press," this course is impossible, and Mr Massey replied: 'iThe requisition cannot possibly be recalled; it must bo proceeded with:" "Well," continued Sir Joseph Ward, "might I suggest that niis is a case where something ought to be done." He desired to point oat, he said, that ho had been told; by resppnsiole people that' some hundreds of; names were off the roll. He did not wanfc to say that
, r this was domkf «V <* ,**ention, but ~'•■'.■ tho. statement was being made freely one side know of the intentions of the Government—(Mr Massey: "No; 'noi , ')—arid this was said by some of ■-,-' thit ado tnemselres. This was his in-- , fonriation, but he was" quite sure .we 'V; Priiae Minister did not want to be a ■ party to jerrymandering elections, whicii would be a very bad thing from ; all points of view. SUGGESTED; : : J'There was,a great deal of feeling : : aßoafc he (Sir Joseph) " .granted to suggest that the date of tao ; .election should be fixed ior about i>e- ': : wmber 15th. . ... . , ■ -[: That won't let the peo- ■'...■» p!c ; bnMflo .'..:' • Sγ Joseph Ward: TCou could put a S sbortJJill througlj tn« jtiouse to allow the rolls to bo closed on Decemuer oth, and the election could take.place on 'December loth. Tiiis - would give ample'time for the rolls to be put in ordfefi and if a second ballot took place - it could'bo held on December 22nd. Mr Massey: That will not give 'time for tbo writs to'bo returned: Sir Joseph Ward: Why not provide for itr Provision should be made,to . " meet the position, because it was Very unusual for tho writ to be issued 6O 'quickly. It took everybody by surprise. The reason for the delay "at the ' kroy election was that the rolls were not completed; and at byttelton there were numbers of poople who were shut out, < ■'".'■■.■' -' ■ = - ■. ■. ■■■ ■ *^?u^ ''P^ 1 •.«*** H the rolls a t Lyttelton had been printed since the last election. • Mr Maesey: I am not able to answer that question at the moment, but 1 am that-eo far as Lyttelton is concern** tho rolls are up to date "THEIR OWN FAULT." Sir JoscTih Ward.: There are hundreds of people left off. tnS f S MM y : ' ~JJo t i thc hon. gentle- - man will understand that in the case of a by-election it is quite impossible to 2S£i.^! l7bo $ r ; Tho ordinary •course h R d been followed. If thore bad been any apparent delay on tfao part of ■ the Government with regard • to the gno o tho har o been StiAl i? Were kcc l» n g it back so S^l g b, B «H ad to,d tho House i «"**.»« ■»> delay on that account, i tW 5 m t the charge that 19?] ffiiL ■« aylo . r Aed 0 « Jalv 27th, ihe election was he,d r COMPARISON WITH GREY. O w compare it with Air Isitt; It is sroysroy matter. on r|r JUassey: t It , s not good grey <X xtf* Mas «y proceeded to read a long v the Grey electoral offi- - * recommonded the delay of to permit of the roUs being . prepared and distributed. That electaoniiad not been delayed, but was held at tne earnest possible moment. They jrare in this dilemma: If they wished ! - we election, there wae the cry of no • tune to complete the rolls; if they did it, they were told ihey "were tho second ballot. Mr Russell: Why didn't you put a • s r*»fe in making it not apply to any oy-election ? ; (Government laughter.) Mr Massey: Wβ have done the .;. wraightforward thing. If there are People o£F the roll it is their own fault, i know of no advantage given to my people. iir Rnssell: Your people held a meeting on Monday night with Mr iluler present. .Mr Massey: I don't see why they .-. should not. You probably held meetings of your own. Finally Mr Massey observed that he would take the suggestion made by Sir ■oecDh Ward into consideration, but he
could not give an answer at tho moment: Sir Joseph Ward made a further request that thero should be an announcement as to whether or not the Second Ballot Repeal Bill would apply to the election. He pointed out that* after it was passed by the Upper House it could be altered by Governor's" Message, and he thought that any uncertainty about it applying to the"election should be dispelled.
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Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14835, 28 November 1913, Page 9
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813SUGGESTED POSTPONEMENT Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14835, 28 November 1913, Page 9
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